From Vimy Ridge to Hopewell Cape: How a Maritime community has embraced history

With the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge a month away, one New Brunswick community is working to restore a cannon that was captured by Canadian troops during the fateful battle in 1917.

The Howitzer K-14 cannon has been a landmark in Albert County for nearly a century, greeting locals and tourists passing through the community of Hopewell Cape, N.B.

The cannon, which still bears the marks of the battles from a century ago, is believed to be one of seven left in the world. Its journey from the battlefield at Vimy Ridge in France in 1917 to Hopewell Cape has been meticulously documented in war diaries and victory loan papers.

“We know when it was captured, we know where it was captured, and we know who captured it,” says Stuart Liptay of the Albert County Historical Society. “There’s not many cannons anywhere that has that much detail.”

On April 9, 1917, a Winnipeg battalion overtook the German cannon, turning it on its previous owners. The Howitzer was evenutally brought to Canada to be auctioned off as part of victory loan efforts to pay for the First World War.

A war trophy was dedicated to each province, setting fundraising goals for counties and cities in attempts to bid on the war artifacts.

“Albert County had a population of 8,700 people back then,” says Liptay. “What Albert County was able to do was actually triple that amount. We raised $347,600. In real dollars, in today’s dollars, that’s about $6.9 million.”

“It’s beyond comprehension, the historical significance along with the dollar value and everything else,” says Progressive Conservative MLA Brian Keirstead. “There were very few families, if any, that weren’t touched.”

The cannon is currently undergoing repairs for the first time since 1989. Rusted sections are being fixed, rotted wood on the cannon’s wheels is being replaced, and the Howitzer will soon undergo a paint job. However, the scars it received on the battlefield will remain, each telling a story of their own.

“Because we know the exact location of this gun, where it was on the battlefield, we were able to look at the firing patterns of the 4^th and 6^th New Brunswick Battalion, and they match up.

Restoring the cannon has been a lengthy process, stretching on for four years, but the Historical Society hopes to have the wheels back on when Albert County gathers to recognize the 100^th anniversary of Vimy Ridge next month.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Cami Kepke

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  This Howitzer K-14 cannon has been a landmark in Albert County for nearly a century, greeting locals and tourists passing through the community of Hopewell Cape, N.B.